The stakes are pretty high here. Whoever wins the GOP primary gets to take on freshman Democrat Walt Minnick, elected in the Democratic wave of 2008 in a state that rarely sends anyone but Republicans to Washington.

Maybe the pressure was too much.

Whatever the cause, Ward now stands accused of plagiarizing one of the most famous speeches in political history -- Barack Obama's rousing address to the Democratic National Convention in 2004 -- the one that catapulted the Illinois lawmaker to the national political stage and then the presidency.

Take a look.

Ward's copycat behavior was brought to light by Boise businessman Lucas Brumbach. who is running for state Senate and whose website notes that "Lucas has been coating Boise with quality paint for several years, but promises there will be no whitewashing when elected senator."